Cardiff City must make Steven Schumacher call ASAP - View | OneFootball

While Cardiff City's results have improved over the last week, pressure is still on manager Erol Bulut, with Steven Schumacher still available.

Cardiff City have picked up four points from their last two Championship fixtures, but still remain rooted to the foot of the table following a disappointing start overall.

That recent improvement has come under the stewardship of caretaker boss Omer Riza. The 44-year-old has temporarily taken the reins following the sacking of former Fenerbahçe and Gaziantep F.K. manager Erol Bulut, who departed following the home defeat to Leeds United towards the end of September.

The Bluebirds achieved a solitary point from their opening six second-tier matches under Bulut, that coming in a 1-1 draw with South Wales rivals Swansea City at the end of August, a club whom the Turkish boss had a good record against over his 15 months in charge.

The 49-year-old did a stellar job in the Welsh capital last season, guiding his side to a mid-table finish. He couldn't get his side going over the opening weeks of the 2024/25 campaign, though, and paid the price when eccentric owner Vincent Tan wielded the axe.

Riza's tenure got off to a poor start with a 4-1 defeat at Hull City. However, the recent home victory against Millwall was followed up with a 1-1 draw at Bristol City over the weekend, seeing City close the gap to fellow early strugglers Portsmouth and Queen's Park Rangers.

A distinct lack of creativity and threat has been Cardiff's main failing, finding the net on just four occasions over their nine league games to date, comfortably the lowest in the division.

Combine that with the fact the Bluebirds have conceded 18 goals in that time (only Portsmouth have let in more), and it's a sure-fire recipe for failure and, as a result, a draining relegation battle.

The hunt for a new manager is on, one who can initially guide the Bluebirds away from the relegation zone and then, in time, make City a consistent force in an ever-competitive second-tier.

While Riza has steadied the ship, it remains to be seen if the former Arsenal youngster is seen as a viable long-term option. There are some notable names currently available, however. None more so than former Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle chief Steven Schumacher, and City must move quickly to bring their new man to the club before others pounce.

40-year-old is in the frame for the Bluebirds role

40-year-old Schumacher, who was recently sacked by fellow Championship side Stoke, is thought to be very much in the frame for the Cardiff job.

The former Bradford City, Crewe Alexandra and Bury midfielder was, perhaps, harshly sacked by a Potters side in a seemingly constant state of transition and instability, with Schumacher given little time to implement his own ideas following a summer of recruitment.

The Liverpool-born man's managerial stock remains high, however, following a wonderful two-year spell in charge at Plymouth between 2021 and 2023.

In his first full-time managerial role, Schumacher guided Argyle to the League One title in 2022/23, earning multiple Manager of the Month awards in the process, before, unsurprisingly, picking up the Manager of the Year prize following his side's promotion.

It was these achievements that led to Stoke headhunting the former Everton youngster just before Christmas last year, though ultimately giving him just nine months to try and sort things before pulling the plug.

Schumacher will be on the radar of many clubs right now. The availability of a proven winner for free will be tempting for sides who haven't got off to the best of starts.

It's unlikely he'll be unemployed for long, however, with the ex-England youth international's contrasting experiences at Plymouth and Stoke making him a well-rounded option for any forward-thinking second-tier side.

If the Bluebirds are to get their man, they must act imminently.

Schumacher's first game could be a Plymouth reunion

Schumacher isn't the only name in the conversation for the job at the Cardiff City Stadium, however, with the Daily Mirror claiming the experienced former Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is also in the frame.

The club have some time to address the issue now, with the international break meaning they don't play again until the 19th of October.

The visitors to South Wales that day are Plymouth, and it would be somewhat ironic if Schumacher's first game was against the club he achieved so much with.

Whether it's he, Mowbray or someone else who becomes the new Cardiff manager, they will see the upcoming home clashes with Argyle and fellow strugglers Portsmouth as a real opportunity to kick-start their campaign. City need to act quickly to make sure they have the right man in charge by the time those games come around.